Did you know, the taste of your dish can change depending on how you chop your onion?

The thing noticeable about onions is that they’re barely aromatic before cutting them open and the intensity of the flavour is based on the way you cut them. (Source: Freepik)

According to Chandani, an onion’s cell wall runs from its root to the tip. Hence, cutting an onion crosswise ruptures more cell walls versus when you cut it lengthwise.

“When we finely chop them, they let out their natural juices, which makes them sweeter and gives a nice, subtle flavour. This is perfect for dishes where we want those subdued notes to shine through. But when we chop them coarsely, they tend to keep more of their original bite, giving that bold, pungent taste. If the onions are sliced thinly the sugar in them caramelizes evenly and adds a nice sweetness to the dish,” said Chef Adwait, INJA. He added that not just chopping, but the amount of heat the onions are exposed to makes a vast difference as both of these factors go hand in hand.

“While whipping up a salad, lengthwise sliced onion would be your best bet. Because for a salad, using a finely diced onion which is cut crosswise, might be overpowering. On the other hand, using finely chopped onions and exposing them to heat will result in them browning, hence intensifying the flavours and giving out a ‘meaty’ kick,” Chandani shared.

Using sliced onions and controlling the amount of heat they are exposed to will result in a much more subtle flavour, which makes them apt for dishes like onion soup, yoghurt based curries and more. He added that adding a splash of water while sautéing onions enhances their savouriness.